Therefore, it's crucial to test drive thevehicle you're considering, not onlyempty, but fully loaded.

Reliability is equally critical. Anengine that performs like no other,between frequent breakdowns, isworthless. Ask both your dealer andthe references he provides about theservice records of engines offered inutility vehicles. Also, ask about ser-vice intervals, and don't be put off ifthey're regular. The best engines inthe world will fail if improperly ser-viced. That means paying attentionto the "little" things, like clean oil andoil filters, as well as major tuneups.

Engine noise can be another consid-eration. If you work in a residentialarea and you begin work at dawn, anoisy engine will be not be well receivedby your neighbors. Here again, a test-drivecan be invaluable.

- Drive-train durability - The drive-train transfers the power of the engineto the wheels - that sounds, and is, fair-ly basic. Yet problems in the drive-trainare often serious and involve signifi-cant downtime, so asking your utility vehi-cle dealer about drive-train construc-tion is worthwhile. Protection is oneelement. Reliability is another.

- Suspension system - Payload capac-ity, and how that load is carried, is in largepart determined by a utility vehicle's sus-pension system. Shocks, struts andsprings can determine the smoothnessof ride, ability of the vehicle to handle dif-ficult terrain, and can enhance stabili-ty. The suspension system itself shouldalso have adequate ground clearance, sothat it is not damaged by obstacles as thevehicle travels. Suspension systemsvary in sophistication from vehicle to vehi-

cleoYour dealer should be able to explain,in plain English, the advantages of var-ious suspension systems on the vehicleshe carries.

- Maneuverability and stability -Utility vehicles often operate in tight quar-ters, which makes maneuverability yetanother elemen t to consider.Maneuverability, in general, is determinedby the steering and suspension systemsof a given vehicle, combined with thatvehicle's length and wheelbase. Widerwheelbase vehicles tend to be more sta-ble, particularly on angled terrain, thanthose with narrower wheelbases. Theyare less prone to roll-overs. They also tendto be more maneuverable.

Tires are the third portion of the sta-bility equation. Wide flotation tires notonly reduce compaction of surfaces overwhich they travel, but enhance stabili-ty simply by the increased surface areathey apply to the ground.

Here again, a test drive is immea-surably valuable. Approach the testdrive with a mental picture of the areain which you operate. As you put the vehi-

Utility Vehicle ManufacturersAmerican Suzuki Deere & Co. Kent Manufacturing

Motor Corp. (800) 544-2122 (813) 485-8871Brea, CA

(800) 447-4700 E-Z-GO-Textron Mitsubishi MotorAugusta, GA Sales of America

Club Car (800) 241-5855 Cypress, CAAugusta, GA (800) 366-6487

(800) 643-1010 HaulmasterColumbia Par Car Mendota,IL Smithco

Deefield, WI (800) 848-4285 Wayne, PA

(800) 222-4653 (215) 688-4009Jacobsen

Cushman Racine, WI The Toro CompanyLincoln, NE (414) 637-6711 Bloomington, MN

(402) 475-9581 (612) 888-8801Kawa aki Motors

Daihat u America, Inc. Corp. Yamaha Golf CarLos Alamitos, CA Irvine, CA Cypress, CA

(800) 777-7070 (714) 770-0400 (800) 447-4700

Test drives or "demos" area must before you buy.Photo courtesy: John DeereCompany.

cle through its paces, picture it workingin the confines of your facility. Can it makethe difficult corners? Does it "feel" sta-ble in both straight lines and comers? Howwill it feel when fully loaded? (You maywant to ask the dealer to load the bedbefore you test drive it.)

- Operability - Have you ever set outto buy an automobile when a certainmodel looked spectacular and its enginehummed, but once you got behind thewheel it just wasn't comfortable todrive? That's operability, and whileit's important in your personal vehicle,it's doubly so in a utility vehicle anoperator may use for hours on end.The good news is that today's top man-ufacturers have designed their utilityvehicles with ergonomics in mind.

Start by examining the operator areaof the vehicle, and trust your eyes. If aparticular lever, knob, or peddle looks dif-ficult to reach, it probably will be.

However, just because a vehicle lookslike it will be comfortable and conve-nient to operate, doesn't necessarily meanit will after several hours. And while a shorttest-drive may be useful, it's an inadequategauge of how operator will feel after a longday of using a given vehicle. If your deal-er has a "demo" program, which enablesyou to try a vehicle for a couple of days,take advantage of it. Short of that, you'llwant to ask owners of the kind of vehicleyou're considering about operability char-acteristics of those vehicles.

-Versatility - In general, utilityvehicle versatility goes up with the rat-ing (light, medium, heavy) of the vehi-cle. Utility vehicles move you and yourpersonnel around your facility. That, andperhaps carrying 500 pounds or less ofcargo, may be the limits of a light-dutyutility vehicle, and if that's all you needfrom the vehicle, you've made the rightchoice. If perhaps, you still need tomove workers but require a bit more pay-load capacity, a medium-duty vehiclemight provide all the versatility youneed. However, when it comes to heavy

continued on page 12

January 1994 11

c

Getting AheadWith BasepathRenovationBy Michael P. Matherne

very aspect of maintenance, includingbasepath renovation, is "big" at BaseballCity Sports Complex in Davenport, FL.

The complex covers 43 acres, including the mainball field and 8,000-seat Baseball City Stadium,support facilities with a lighted, 2,500-seat prac-tice field, four additional practice fields, a practiceinfield, two indoor batting/pitching facilities, 40outdoor practice mounds, batting tunnels, supportbuilding, and surrounding parking areas.

Until 1990, Baseball City served not only asspring training headquarters for the Kansas CityRoyals, but also hosted more than 1,000 additionalgames per year. Field users varied from theBaseball City Royals-Class A and the FloridaState League, to Florida High School AthleticAssociation State High School Tournament tothe American Legion State Tournament.

The stadium's artificial turf infield was replaced with nat-ural turf in the fall of 1991. The Tifway Bermuda 419,which now covers the entire grassed area of the infield, is over-seeded in cool weather with perennial ryegrass.Timing Critical

The renovation procedures that follow in this articlekeep Baseball City in top shape. It's best to renovate base-paths each year, when the work can be completed with rel-ative ease. If the task hasn't been tackled for several years,especially on heavily used fields, it can be an extensiveundertaking. Whenever possible, plan the process for thattime in the fall immediately following field use. If weather

r scne(hiles don't permit this, begin renovation during win-*r months or as early in the spring as the ground is work-

able so fields are ready for spring play.When basepaths are not kept up to the level of the grass,

lm o r heavy irrigation can cause puddles that are difficultQ e a n UP> interfere with play, and threaten player safety.

r time, the exposed surface is worn down, which leavesre g r a s s by the infield and outfield higher than the center

I | h e basepath and forms a "bowl" effect. Professional base-feet Pii ^ W a n t t h e s k i n n e d a r e a s o f t h e f i e l d t o b e a s Per"it t y iJel ^ possihle s o t h a t t h e b a U h a s a tnie bounce, whether

ouches down on the grass or the clay.This BaSeba11 Ci ty fields'like a11 of Florida, are sand-based.

ls Provides for excellent drainage — sometimes even too

Basepath cleared ofexisting brick dustand calcined clay,with boards inplace. Photoscourtesy: MichaelMatherne.

New clay added and leveled after the existing clay has been roto-tilled.

much drainage. Basepaths must be monitored closely and waterapplied as necessary to keep them from drying out.

Skinned areas and basepaths in southern regions shouldhave clay base a minimum of six inches deep. If this layer istoo thin, it cracks under hot, dry conditions. In some north-ern regions, where the underlying soil has a high moisturecontent, it may be possible to "get by" with a four-inch claybase. Baseball City uses a mix of 80 percent red (Interlachen)clay and 20 percent sand as the base.Renovation Techniques

To begin the renovation process, remove any existingcalcined clay and brick dust. Scrape off the material and storeit on-site. It can be run through a screen to remove rocks, grass,and other debris, then added back into the mix when rework-ing the basepaths.

Next, remove any lips that have built up at the grass line.The best way to eliminate lips is not to let them happen.Sweeping clay from grass surface every game, and washingaway accumulation during a break in the schedule will holdlip formation to a minimum.

With minor lip building, cut a trench at the edge of the grassline, then roll and tamp down. For more defined lips, cut alongthe edge of the turf with a sod cutter. Flip back the grass, removethe excess material, level the soil surface, and replace the grass.

Basepaths should be level. (Skinned areas should slopetowards the outfields at the rate of one inch per 10 feet, to

January 1994 13

allow for drainage.) To accomplish this, build a woodenframe similar to those used when pouring concrete. Stretchstring lines from grass area to grass area, one-quarter-inchhigher than the desired basepath level. This additionalquarter inch provides the cushion that will be needed since,as the process of adding clay nears completion, it becomes almostimpossible to get the surface level to the top of the board frame.

Run two-by-four boards down each side of the baseline atthe correct elevation, level with the stretched string lines. Tothe hold the boards in place, drive spikes through themand into the underlying field mix.

Within the framework of the boards, rototill the existingclay to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Be careful not to hit the boards.

Do any mixing necessary to ensure that the clay orclay/sand mix that will be added to the basepath is uniform.

Monitor the moisture consistency of the new material. Itshould be wet, but not sticky. It must be moist enough to resistdrying out, but not so wet that it sticks to equipment. Themoisture content will vary with the properties of the clay andproportions of sand and clay in the mix used. Without the prop-er degree of moisture, the new material won't bond proper-ly with the existing clay. It may take some trial-and-error workto get the ideal moisture content. When temperatures are highand drying winds prevail, keep a hose on-hand so addition-al water can be added throughout the renovation process tomaintain the correct moisture content.

Add new clay to the basepaths within the board frame andrototill to a depth of 2 to3 inches to bring thesurface level with thetwo-by-four "forms."Make sure the newmaterial bonds well withthe existing clay. Runa board along the top ofthe boardforms to checkthe surface level.

After the basepathshave been leveled ini-tially, they're ready to berolled. Allow the top todry out a bit so it won'tstick to the roller.Baseball City uses athree-ton flat, self-pro-pelled roller. If a rollerisn't available, "tire roll" the surface. Drive a trac-tor back and forth, moving side to side, until the sur-face is rolled adequately.

The rolling process will compress the clay, form-ing a solid base. The mix used at Baseball City iscompacted approximately one-half by rolling (mean-ing one inch of new clay packs down to one-half inchof added material). Compression rates generally varywith the mix used.

Spike the clay with a nail board. Then continueadding new clay, leveling it within the forms,rolling and spiking, until the clay is level with theform at one-quarter inch above the grass surface.

Remove the boards. Fill the long, narrow trenchthey leave with clay. Compact it to the same pointas the clay added to the rest of the basepath.

Then spike and float the entire skinned area and basepaths.Spike and float boards have a nail drag on one side and are flaton the other. The flat side is used as a "float" to skim over thesurface to level it off.

Add new calcined clay and/or brick dust.If brick dust will be used, work it into the top three-eighths

to one-half inch of clay by adding thin layers, then spikingand floating until the desired amount has been added.

Complete the renovation process by applying a top-dressing of approximately one-quarter inch of calcined clay.This creates a cushion that absorbs excess moisture and grad-ually releases the moisture as needed to the clay below. It alsoholds down dust when conditions are dry.

These final steps will have compressed that one-quarterinch "cushion" of clay mix so that the resulting basepath islevel with the infield and outfield grass lines.

Monitor basepath conditions, making sure they don't dryout during the interim period before the daily maintenanceschedule of the playing season begins. Providing daily atten-tion to basepath maintenance, and renovating them when nec-essary will not only keep these crucial areas of your diamondin top shape, but it will help enhance player enjoyment,performance, and perhaps most importantly, safety. •

Editor's note: Michael P. Matherne is head groundskeep-er for Baseball City Sports Complex. He is a member of thenational Sports Turf Managers Association.

(left) Once the clayhas been leveled, asshown here, the nextstep is rolling.

- .

(below) Finish onesection at a timeuntil the entireskinned area hasbeen renovated.

14 sportsTURF

Janua

Professor Kurtz has always believedin field demonstrations and on-the-job training for students.

farm. Never tell a teenager that he can'tdo something for some weak reason. Hefought back by getting a job at CharlesKlehm & Sons nursery during summershoeing weeds and planting peony roots. Thiswas production agriculture in an urban set-ting. He realized that he wanted appliedhorticulture.

He found what fit his vision of urbanagriculture nearby at Rolling GreenCountry Club, where he caddied andlater worked on grounds maintenance. Healso worked summers for the ArlingtonHeights park district under Tom Thornton,the director of parks, and further for theVillage of Arlington Heights mowinggrass at the well sites. He also mowed the3 acre Elk Grove cemetery for a total of$10.00 per mowing plus had to furnish hisown mower and gas. Itwas not uncommonfor Kurtz to work two or three jobs dur-ing the summer to earn money for school.However, ajob taking concrete samplesduring the construction of the IllinoisTollway between his senior year in highschool and freshmen year in college almostdestroyed his goal before he got started.Kurtz severely injured his back, beginningwhat has been a lingering disability for theactive and inquisitive outdoorsman.

Still recovering from his back injury andnot able to accept a scholarship for the trackteam, Kurtz entered Southern IllinoisUniversity intending to major in horti-culture. The university did not have a turfor landscape program so he selected plantindustries. The one professor who taughtfield crop production and later weed con-trol was Dr. Herbert Portz. Kurtz worked

16 sporlsTURF

speed against the barn. The accidentresulted in the compression fracture of sixvertabrates which disabled him for ayear and changed the whole course ofhis life. Since he was unable to work andnot being one to just sit around he appliedfor admission to the masters program atWestern Michigan University in BiologicalScience. Welch's offered to pay his disabilityfor one year while he retrained for a lessgrueling career. It was his chance to getback into turf.

Since Western Michigan did not havea turf program he took advantage of sev-eral resources to develop his own pro-gram of study. He took all of the soils andagriculture classes from Dr. Lee Baker,plant physiology classes from biological sci-ence, an intensive turfgrass class from Dr.William Daniel at Purdue (driving backand forth to West Lafayette, IN for 4weeks), and then contacted MichiganState University where Drs. James Beardand Paul Rieke, two of the leading youngexperts on turf at that time, assisted himwith setting up and conducting his thesisstudy. While at Western he encouraged theowner of the Hampshire Country Club inDowagiac, MI, Rolfe ''junior'' Wells, toalso take classes in soils, etc. and they rodetogether to Kalamazoo.

As Kent began to feel better he man-aged the greenhouse for the BiologicalScience Dept. and also worked as thefarm manager for Paul Todd, a multi-millionaire who owned 5,000 acres of

r------------------------:r----. farmland nearKalamazoo where heraised peppermint,spearmint, potatoesand corn. Todd alsoowned a 300 acrepiece of propery inthe center ofKalamazoo where he

~i~~~3!!E2~~=:t~~1 had a lawn bowlinggreen and severalgreenhouses whichinspired Kent andrecharged his dedi-cation and enthusi-asmin turf.John outer giving tour of Celtics Pitch in Glasgow,

Scotland. In order to con-duct his masters the-

sis field work Kent worked out a specialarrangement with Roy Peck, superin-tendent of the Kalamazoo Country Club.For the privilege of using a site on theCountry club grounds Kent had to work20 hours per week mowing greens anddoing general maintenance. Kurtz setup trials using Merion Kentucky bluegrass

for Portz in the Agronomy lab and also inthe greenhouse. They formed a close bondand still remain close friends today eventhough Portz is retired.

The lack of college turf program and adiscouraging experience on a golf courseduring the summer of his freshman yeardirected his studies toward an interest infruit and vegetable crops. A professor atSIU (Dr. John Kelly) directed Kurtz intointeresting research for the CampbellSoup Company on breeding tomatoes formechanical harvesting, a major advance-ment in the early '60s. He went on torefine fertility programs for tomatoesusing the first plastic-eoated fertilizers nowknow in the turf field as Osmocote.

After graduating in 1963 with a degreein Plant Industries, he began the activeduty portion of his commitment to theNational Guard at Fort Leonard Wood inMissouri. From the fort, he sent out let-ters and resumes seeking employment. TheNational Grape Cooperative Association,parent company of Welch Grape JuiceCompany, hired Kurtz as a field repre-sentative to work with grape growers insouthwestern Michigan. He becameinvolved in converting the first vineyardsin Michigan to a new trellis system knownas the Geneva Double Curtain System.

While in his final quarter at Sill he metPatricia ''Trish'' O'Hara. They were mar-ried in 1964 in Kalamazoo, MI wherethey lived in a house rented from one ofthe grape growers. After Trish finished her

degree from Western Michigan Universityshe taught English and history for theDecatur, MI school system.

One of the grower's daughters kepther horse at the farm where Kurtz was liv-ing and one evening encouraged him to takea ride on the horse. During the ride thehorse was spooked and threw him at full

with various rates of nitrogen fertilizationto test the strength and durability of sod.This was a project suggested by PaulRieke to aid the sod growers in Michiganwith their fertility programs. The help ofthese professionals, Beard, Daniel andRieke, at a time when there were fewturf programs in the country gave impe-tus to Kent's career.

Kurtz finished his masters in Decemberof 1967 and in March of 1968 was hiredby a.M. Scott and Sons as a Golf CourseConsultant with the Proturf Division.Driving 1,500 miles per week, Kurtzcalled on golf courses, schools, parks andmunicipalities selling the Proturf lineof fertilizers, seed, pesticides and equip-ment. He was as much a problem solverfor his customers as a salesman andbecame a trustedfriend rather thanan annoying ordertaker. Kurtz tookevery opportunity tospeak or demonstratehis products at com-munity colleges withturf or ornamentalhorticulture pro-grams. Teachingseemed to come nat-urally to him.

The miles and longwork weeks took theirtoll on his sensitiveback. As the pain onceagain incapacitated him, doctors diag-nosed a rare disease, Rheumatoid spondyli-tis, in which spinal discs fuse together.Taking medication became part of hisdaily routine. Strong ties with his customerscarried him through. From his home inHasting, MI, Kurtz sold over the phonewhen he could not stand to drive. Hisonly long term solution was to redirect hisenergies within the turf industry.

Teaching and helping others had strucka chord with Kurtz. The classroom was notas physically challenging as the field.

Triton College in Chicago had alreadyoffered him a job when he read an ad ina trade magazine for an assistant professorposition in turfgrass management atCal Poly, Pomona. The president of theUniversity was a former professor atMSU. The technical college wanted tobegin a turf educational and research pro-gram in addition to strengthening itspark program within the Department ofHorticulture. Kurtz fit the bill andarrangements were made for him toteach his first class in the fall quarter of

1969. Trish was expecting to deliver thecouple's first child by summer.

Cal Poly professor Jim Griffin becameill. Kurtz was asked to join the faculty intwo weeks instead of six months. He lefthis pregnant wife in Michigan with instruc-tions to pack up their belongings and sellthe house. She did both inher characteristicstyle of reliability and responsibility.

The Cal Poly ConnectionHaving built a reputation in north-

ern Illinois and Michigan, Kurtz nowhad to do the same in Southern California.Fortunately, men such as John Madison,William Davis, Vic Youngner and HamiltonWilliams had already laid a foundation.The academic turf support system in thestate would grow stronger with the addi-

Kurtz with Ken Irons (center), who is the Los AngelesRaiders turf manager, and exhibitor during early Cal PolySports Turf Institute.

tion of Vic Gibeault, Ted Stamen andJohn VanDam.

From Cal Poly, Kurtz created an effec-tive network to get many things accom-plished. He molded a golf and turf pro-gram which previously had not beenoffered. To do this, he enlisted the sup-port of suppliers and employers whowanted to hire such types of collegegraduates. He set up research plots oncampus to demonstrate the latest tech-nology to students, area superinten-dents and coaches, and any interested tax-payer. He consulted golf courses, parksand schools throughout the area to builda reputation for the University of serviceand support. He strongly encouragedwork study programs for his students. Andhe worked with local and national asso-ciations to lend them the resources ofCal Poly to their cause.

When an associate professor slot openedup in 1972, Kurtz was selected over 11 oth-ers, providing he earned a Ph.D. Since CalPoly offered no Ph.D. of its own, he enrolledat the University of California in Riverside

under the wing of Dr. Vic Youngner. Hisquest for applied research over scientificexploration led him to the University ofArizona under the counsel of Dr. BobKneebone. Using summers and sabbati-cal leaves from Cal Poly, it took him eightyears to complete his Ph.D.

These were, however, some of the mostproductive years of Kurtz' academic career.At UA, he worked with Kneebone oncreeping bentgrasses for desert climates.He vividly remembers rating plots of1020, a bentgrass now inproduction by SeedResearch of Oregon, Inc.

He built the first Purr-wick golf greenin the West at Cal Poly, Pomona. Hisfriendship with Purr-wick creator, Dr.Bill Daniel at Purdue, came into play. Kurtztook a trick used by movie studios tomake the lawns of their outdoor setsgreen during the winter by painting thedormant bermuda with special turf col-orants, but not just any colorants. In1971, and again in 1981, he researched andsampled every turf colorant available onthe Ll.S. market, rating and ranking theproducts according to effectiveness.

When a lumber company asked Kurtzto create a use for waste sawdust, hedesigned a method of growing sod onpolyethylene, using the waste sawdust asa growing medium. The famous sod pro-ducer Ben Warren told Kurtz he wasyears ahead of his time. He was right. Thelightweight, fast growing sod eventuallygained popular use 15 years later.

In 1981 he finished his dissertation onthe effects of iron fertilization on zoysia-grass and was presented with his doctoratefrom the University of Arizona.

By the late '70s, Kurtz faced a tremen-dous challenge that he continues toaddress, the unnecessarily poor condi-tion of most athletic fields. He now had ason and daughter in sports leagues. Heknew there was a solution to the problemof unsafe fields, but the support justdidn't exist. He started on a local level, work-ing with local leagues and expanding hiscurriculum to his students to includesports turf management.

Not one to be shy, Kurtz contactedthe groundskeepers of many college andprofessional sports stadiums to get moreinformation on the care of sports fields. Hefound them very willing to share their tech-niques with others if the result wasincreased safety for athletes.

Top groundskeepers, George Toma atKansas City, Dick Ericson at Minneapolis,Harry Gill at Milwaukee, Roger Bossard

continued on page 21

January 1994 17

18 sporfsTURF

u thick-cut od given both its signif-icantly higher price than conventional sodand inherent oil interface difficulties.

econd you ve got to have the budget.J ff 01 marketing manager fore t oa t Turf in Palm De ert CA,

which grow nnudagrass and bentgrassattribute the higher co t to two fac-tor. One i freight ole explain .Freight i a big con ideration. We are

r tricted to what we can put in a truckb eight not b olume. Ordinarily werna b abl to put 10 000 quare feet ofcon ntional od in a truck. ith thick-cu od b caus of the added weight werna onl be able to ship 2 500 square feetp r truck. That mean w d need fourruck to hip the volume of od - four

time the co t.'Th oth r thing that con ribute to

the higher price' that with thick-eut sodw r r moving aluable oil from thefield h continu. re re tricting theabili of tha field or area to regrow. ithb rmudagra hen ou cu od rootar left underneath - th re no ne d tor d. But wh n ou take the amountof oil you do wi h thick-cut od theb rmuda i ery 10 to come back. eometime ha to go back and addtolons to th area. picture a sod field

of 10 acre. ou ve harve ted orne od

at conventional thickness, and then youget an order for an acre of thick-cutsod. Now you've got one acre in your 10-acre field that's lower than the rest,and that can create problems later on."

The advantage of thick-cut sod, again,is the extra weight provided by the extrasoil. However, Cole points out, this extrasoil has its drawbacks, particularly in thearea of soil "matching."

"You can have a pretty big problemwith it if your soils don't match up fair-ly well, particularly if the existing soilis sandier than soil that comes with thesod," he explains. "If you had a sports fieldor golf tee that was made to USGA spec-ifications, you wouldn't want to usethick-cut sod on it long-term, because theroots will never leave the soil layer.Also with thick-eut sod, the grass can sur-vive for an indefinite period of time,but if you put a lot ofweight or compactionon it the long-term effects wouldn't bepositive. We ve always felt that it's bet-ter to take sod with as little soil as pos-ible because you don't want to create

a different layer or medium."Dr. Tim Bowyer is general manager of

golf and sports turf for Southern Turfurseries a Warren's company based inorcro s, GA. For 18 years, Southern

Turf ur eries resodded the infield of

Atlanta Fulton County Stadium withthick-cut sod after the Braves had finishedtheir baseball, so the Falcons could playfootball on it. (The Falcons now playinside the Georgia Dome.) AlthoughSouthern Turf Nurseries still providesand installs thick-cut sod in facilitieswhen appropriate, Bowyer is also quick topoint out the detriments of long-termapplications of the product over sand pro-file fields.

'There are major agronomic drawbacksin taking sod with two inches of soiland placing it on a sand-profile fieldfor long-term repair purposes," he asserts."The long-term impacts can be verynegative. Now you have a thick layer ofsoil that will not percolate as quickly asthe soil beneath. You end up with stand-ing water on the field, or worse, condi-tions where clay and silt wash out of thesoil and into the sand profile, and affectthe ability of water to move throughthat profile."

Installation TipsAssuming you're not going to use the

large-roll concept for laying thick-cutsod, you'll probably want a few extra crewmembers for the job. Keep in mind thatthe sod can weigh four times that ofconventional sod, and the extra musclewill come in handy. Weight aside, thesheer thickness of the sod adds anoth-er dimension to pre-installation.

''You've got to remember to excavatethe surface to the same depth of thesod 'Bowyer notes.

As for the laying of the sod itself,the technique doesn't differ substan-tially from that of conventional sod.However Cole suggests making surethe sod bed is especially firm, pre-rolledand watered, prior to installation.Whether the thick-cut sod is brought inon pallet by a forklift or rolled direct-ly onto the field by a long-roll in talla-tion machine the heer weight of prod-uct' combined with the weight ofmachincan lead to rutting.

Because thick-cut sod contain extraoil i may no require the immediate

watering of conventional sod installations.aturall ou want to approach irrigation

after installation on a cas -by-case basi .If the gra app ar or feel dry if th

eather i particularly hot and arid orif the in tallation take hour underthe hot un an immedia application ofwater rna be n c ary, even on thick-cut od. Bu ou rna not want to waterthe od imply a "a rna ter of cour eparticularly if there a game to b

played on it immediately."Thick-cut sod is a very, very spe-

cialized product that costs money - itsprimary benefit being you can play on italmost immediately," says Cole. "On a teebox, for example, you can realistically laysod and hit golf balls off of it whenyou're finished. Thick-cut sod is for spe-cial events and circumstance where con-ventional sod just isn't going to work."

Bowyer adds that, in most caseswhere thick-cut sod is installed oversand-profile fields, it is removed after the

event and replaced with a conventional-cut or even a washed sod. To leave thethick-cut sod in place, he asserts, wouldbe ill-advised, because it defeats thepurpose of the sand profile.

"The reason thick-cut sod gets usedon sand-profile fields isbecause the main-tenance ofthe fieldhas failed,"Bowyer con-cludes frankly. 'The growing months priorto the playing season haven't been takenadvantage of, and when play begins, theturf gets destroyed. It's truly a question ofmanagement prior to the problem."

For more biformaHon on bow you can the TD-4OO in. adion andfor t Iocatkm of rrop Turf Equipment dealer, call tollfree at

P.O. Box 1603. •WA ~1603 (Phone) 20&'354-7578 (Fax) 604/794-34<46

Circle 104 on Postage Free Card January 1994 19

CHEMICAL LOG~

Mechanical/ChemicalStrategy Cuts Costs

Inamove to meet tight budgetswhile tackling an increased ath-letic turf maintenance workload,Pasco County Horticulturist MitchBoyle has developed a strategy

that's helping trim tens of thousands ofdollars from his maintenance costs.

In addition to his duties managing ath-letic fields at 14 park sites throughoutPasco County, FL, Boyle also serves asthe county's aquatic weed manager.Money saved as a result of Boyle's turfstrategy is vital to meeting the costs ofhis other responsibilities, he says.

In providing an overview of hisapproach to turf care, Boyle explainsthat agronomic schedules for each parkare slightly different. Those differ-ences rest on specific growing conditions,which vary from one end of the coun-ty to the other. The facilities he over-sees include 35 full-size soccer fields,37 Little League fields, and 11 softballfields. In total, Boyle's crew cares for180 acres of hybrid Bermuda 419, with20 more acres under development.

One of Boyle's primary goals for1994 is to save money on turf man-agement by using a new pest controlstrategy he developed during the pastyear. In 1993, Boyle managed theBermuda turf at a total cost of $740 peracre. His goal for 1994 is to trim thatto less than $700, and put the moneysaved to work in a habitat restora-tion project on the gulf coast. The sav-ings from the turf program are beingused to purchase Rodeo® herbicideand other products for use in a Brazilianpepper eradication program along sev-eral miles of coastline park sites.

In caring for the athletic turf, Boyleplans to cut costs by controlling fungusmechanically, while emphasizing useof cost-effective herbicides to keep weedsin check and reduce maintenance costs."We spent up to $100 per acre to applyfungicides," he explains. "By following aregular schedule of power raking, ver-

20 sporfsTURF

ticutting, and aerating twice a year,we'll be able to cut fungus control costssignificantly."

During the last three years, Boyleconducted a study on county fungicideapplications. By late summer of 1993, hiscrew had applied fungicides only threetimes.

"In previous years, we've had to applymany times that amount of fungicide bySeptember," he says. "The mechanicalprogram allowed us to divert approxi-mately $20,000 in 1992, and $30,000in 1993, to other needs."

Boyle believes the mechanical workcontrols fungus by increasing microbialactivity in the turf. To help microbesalong, the crew applies Milorganite ata rate of 250 pounds per acre to light-ly topdress fields in January, March, andApril.

'These light applications ofMilorganitehelp increase microbial activity so grassstays healthy and balanced," says Boyle."Then we come through with our aera-tion and power raking, and we don'thave an environment that harbors fun-gus and disease down in the thatch.I've talked this theory over with some ofthe turf specialists at the university,and they're experimenting on this verysame thing."

Another factor in Boyle's success is fre-quent applications of high-quality fer-tilizer. The variety selected for PascoCounty turf is Par-Ex®.

The first application is in February,using 15-2-5 with a crabgrass control at350 pounds per acre. In April, 21-2-6 isapplied, with an insecticide for molecricket control, at a rate of 200 poundsper acre. In June, 19-0-10 is applied at200 pounds per acre, again with a crab-grass control. In August, 15-0-15 goes onat 300 pounds per acre, followed by lO-IS-IS in October at 500 pounds peracre.

Rather than relying on fungicides in1994, aeration and power raking will con-

tinue throughout the year on a month-ly basis.

Another change for 1994 will be aswitch to Mainstay® for mole cricket con-trol. Previously, Boyle used anotherinsecticide, which he says lost is resid-ual effects under heavy rains last sum-mer. ''With Mainstay, we'll have a greaterlength ofcontrol for mole crickets," he says.

During winter, Boyle avoids over-seeding with ryegrass, a common prac-tice on many warm-season grass ath-letic fields. ''We've been real lucky so far- I've been able to keep the fieldssafe and playable all winter long," hesays. "It also saves a lot of money as faras mowing."

Boyle also reduces mowing coststhrough the use of Roundup® herbicidealong several thousand feet of athletic fieldfence line. The product is also appliedaround trees and along buildings in a nar-row strip that leaves room for mowingequipment to pass.

"The savings from Roundup® aresignificant," says Boyle, who estimateseach of the 25 parks sites uses a 2 1/2-gallon jug of the product. ''We also do trailmaintenance with the herbicide, insteadof mowing."

The herbicide also saves a signifi-cant amount of trimming time, Boylenotes. Without it, his crew would haveto use weed trimmers along miles offence, twice a week.

"Putting your budget together theyear before and trying to live by that bud-get throughout the year is tough," he con-cludes. "By concentrating on cost controlstrategies within our various programs,we're meeting budget requirements andfreeing up dollars to improve and expandour programs."

Editor's note: Rodeo and Roundupare registered trademarks of MonsantoCompany. Milorganite, Par-Ex, andMainstay are trademarks of their man-ufacturers.